July 1 has definitely gone down in history after the Communist Party of China (CPC) celebrated 100 years of existence since it was formed in July, 1921. Now, even the country’s worst critics were humbled and could not help discussing the unprecedented achievement in awe.
Savour the following quotes from the Washington Post on July 1: “Xi, … has presided over steady economic growth and a rise in living standards since taking the party’s top job in late 2012. The country’s economy — the world’s second-largest — has rebounded quickly from the coronavirus outbreak, with the World Bank forecasting growth of 8.5 percent this year.”
According to statistics released on June 5 by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, CPC has more than 95.1 million members and almost 4.9 million primary-level organizations. This makes it the largest political party in the world, a feat that is unsurpassed for such organisations.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, addressed a ceremony celebrating the CPC centenary at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing on the same day. It was a speech with a heavy dose of patriotism, which is really the cornerstone of the country’s meteoric rise in a relatively short span of time.
The Tian'anmen Square setting was symbolic that China has moved away from a time when dark clouds hang on the country during the 1989 so called pro-democracy protests that were incited by external forces. In his speech Xi affirmed that China would never have achieved its present-day prosperity and power without CPC’s struggles against foreign oppression and domestic exploitation.
Without mincing words, the president warned that foreign powers will "get their heads bashed" if they attempt to bully or influence the country. Neither, he said, will China entertain "sanctimonious preaching", a statement that was obviously directed to the usual holier-than-thou usual suspects.
Moreover, Xi was categorical that "no one should underestimate the resolve, the will and ability of the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity," particularly in reference of China’s intention of unification with Taiwan, one of its rightful territories.
Other highlights of Xi’s speech focusing on CPC’s achievements include:
- The Party united and led the Chinese people in fighting bloody battles with unyielding determination, achieving great success in the new-democratic revolution.
- The Party united and led the Chinese people in endeavouring to build a stronger China with the spirit of self-reliance, achieving great success in socialist revolution and construction.
- The Party united and led the Chinese people in freeing the mind and forging ahead, achieving great success in reform, opening-up, and socialist modernization.
- The Party united and led the Chinese people in pursuing a great struggle, a great project, a great cause, and a great dream through the spirit of self-confidence, self-reliance and innovation, achieving great success for socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.
But with the celebration, another phase of hard work has just started. The following day after the fireworks, top CPC officials who comprise members of the State Council led by Premier Li Keqiang, met to study and discuss Xi’s speech.
The group reiterated the Marxist credentials in Xi’s speech and its role as a guiding document that charts the course for the Party and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups toward the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects.
Reports said the meeting called for efforts to uphold the Party's overall leadership, deepen reform and opening-up across the board, stick to the Party's fundamental purpose of wholeheartedly serving the people and advance Party building in the government system.
Indeed, Rome was not built in a day. The growth of a country as large as China is work in progress. In order to keep the same pace of growth, the leaders have to constantly monitor and evaluate implementation of ongoing plans and adjust them according to current and changing social, economic and political realities.
That is the spirit in which the meeting called on the leading party members group of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee to work harder to fulfil its duties and mission. It also called on Party organisations and party members within the NPC system to “better focus on the central task and the overall situation, and better serve the country and the people.”
The writer is the Executive Director of South-South Dialogues, a Nairobi based research and development communication think tank.